Virgil lopez



. LOPEZ.

- SHEET METAL GAN.

No. 248,103. Patentd 001; 11,1881;

N. PETERS. Mmho n mr. Wamnnm n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VIRGIL LOPEZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHEETI-METAL CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,103, dated October 11, 1881.

. Application filed May 18,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIRGIL LOPEZ, of the city and State of New York,have invented an Improvement in Sheet-Metal Cans, of which the following is a specification. Sheet-metal cans have been made with a cover having a rim and with a sealing-strip around the rim of the cover, soldered to the same and to the body of the can. In some instances this sealing-strip has beerrcut in a curved form, so as to be slightly conical when rolled up, and a loop has in other cases been provided at the end of the strip, by means of which it can be torn ofi" in opening the can.

My'invention relates to the conlbinatiomwith the sealing strip, of a T-headed key or fork passing into an S-shaped bend at the end of the sealing-strip in such a manner that the sealing-strip can be torn off and rolled up by revolving the T-headedkey.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the can sealed andready for transportation. Fig. 2 is a plan of the sealing-strip as soldered to the can and ready to be bent into the 8 form for receiving the T-headed key. Fig. 3 shows, a transverse sect-ion of the cover and sealingstrip applied to the can; and Fig. 4 is a detached View, in larger size, of the ends of the sealing-strip.

The canbody a is of any desired size or shape, and the cover I) is provided with a rim, 0, either made in one piece with the top hot the cover or soldered thereto.-

11 is the sealing-strip, which is passed around the flange of the cover and soldered at3. The ends are lapped, and the outer lap is bent outwardly at right angles and soldered, as at 4. The cover'aud sealing-strip are now placed in adie and the edge of the sealing-strip bent inwardly, as indicated at 6 6, Fig. 3, so that it will be as small as the outside of the can-body. The cover and sealing strip are now placed upon the can-body and thejoint' 7 soldered.

The T-shaped key I is either a piece of wire or of metal cut out to form two parallel, or nearly-parallel, portions, 8 8, that pass loosely through the openings made at the end of the sealing strip by folding the same back upon itself and giving to the metal the form of the letter S and soldering the sane. In this the prongs of the key can be slid up or down at will. When pressed down the key will be out of the way,and the cans maybe placed closely together for transportation. When the key is drawn up its T-head will be above the top of the can, and it may be turned by the finger and thumb or by a pair of pliers, and its/will tear off the sealing-strip and roll it up as the key is rotated.

1 claim as my invention- The combination, with the can and cover, of a sealing-strip soldered to the rim and body respectively, and having ends lapped and soldered, and the outer end turned back in an S form and soldered, in combination with a T- headed key adapted to slide vertically through the end of the sealing-strip to allow of the key being rotated to detach the sealing strip, as set forth.

Signed by me this 14th day of May, A. D. 1881.

V. LOPEZ.

Witnesses GEo. T. PINGKNEY, HAROLD SERRELL. 

